European football expert tells QPR fans their new manager is astutely ‘tactically adaptable’

Add as preferred source on Google

QPR have been on the hunt for a new manager since sending former boss Marti Cifuentes on gardening leave two months ago.

The Spaniard proved to be a success at Loftus Road, but due to Marti Cifuentes looking for other potential management opportunities, QPR put him on gardening leave.

QPR were then linked with a number of names, with former Norwich City boss Johannes Hoff Thorup seemingly about to get the job before he reportedly turned them down.

However, their search appears to be over now, as it has been reported by Le Parisien journalist Marc Mechenoua that former Strasbourg and Rennes manager Julien Stéphan has agreed to a two-year deal to take charge of the Championship club.

• READ MORE: Championship expert tips Marti Cifuentes for move to play-off hopefuls this summer after QPR fiasco

European football expert Andy Brassell on QPR’s new manager

QPR fans may be wondering what they will get with their new French manager, the man who has had spells in charge of Rennes and Strasbourg but who has been out of management since November 2024.

Those who will attend Loftus Road on a regular basis next season will be interested to know what European football expert thinks about Julien Stéphan.

Speaking on The Second Tier podcast, he said: “Julien Stéphan is a really interesting pick-up for QPR.

“Had his highlights; there is no doubt about that in his time as a head coach.

“He’s started well, but when he has hit the buffers, he has really struggled to turn it around.

“He’s tactically adaptable; he works with the players that are in front of him, so he is not stuck to any particular scheme.

“There’s no doubt he connects with players. Can he make it happen over the duration? That’s, I guess, what the test will be at QPR if he gets the time, but he is a very interesting coach.”

Julian Stephan’s coaching record

Julian Stéphan has proved his qualities at both Rennes and Strasbourg throughout his coaching career, achieving some incredible feats with both clubs.

In his first spell with Rennes, he managed to help the club lift their first piece of silverware in 48 years as they defeated PSG in the Coupe de France.

He also managed to secure a victory over Arsenal in the Europa League quarter-final, although they could not get the job done over two legs.

Stéphan also managed to guide Rennes to a third-place finish in the 2019-20 season, qualifying them for the Champions League for the first time in their history, and with Strasbourg, he led the club to a sixth-place finish in the top flight, a first since the 1979–80 season.